The Essence of True Happiness
by xxHeadInTheStarsxx
Summary: As Miley watches Lily and Oliver get married, she can't help but remember how much she truly loves Oliver...how much this is all breaking her heart. After all, it's harder to watch someone you're in love with love somebody else. MileyOliverLily


**A/N: **Ever since I created this account, I told myself over and over that I was going to write a HM story, and now I finally did it! (This story is going to look like a sore thumb with all of my CR, SWAC, and Wizards stories. haha.) I honestly love all the couples on the show, but my favorite has to be Miley/Oliver. They were like the first couple on Disney that I was obsessed with xD Ha, 2006 was all about Moliver for me. lol. So I hope you guys like this! :D

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_The Essence of True Happiness_

Calm. Beautiful. Perfect.

Those were the words to describe this place. The soul of this church outlined white, purity, magic. Just breathing inside could make a girl feel like she was a princess.

She has always dreamed of marrying in the place like this. The long porcelain gown with silver designs laid out, her chestnut hair simply curled and tied into a bun, and the flowers would be pink with splashes of white. But most importantly, _he _would the one up there, waiting for her in the altar. _He _would be the one promising her his whole life, sealing it with the famous words of 'I do' and a kiss. _He _would be the one who would love her until eternity met its end.

"Lily, you look gorgeous." Miley assured, trying her best to smile ecstatically. Everyone expected her to be happy. Her best friend was finally getting married for God's sake, she _should _be happy. Portraying joy though was absolutely the hardest thing she could do at the moment because honestly, happiness was the farthest emotion from her barrier.

"You really think so?" Lily asked worriedly, looking at herself to catch any blemishes. "You don't think I look fat in this dress?" she asked, staring down at her body. Miley giggled silently and shook her head no. Lily sighed in relief and stood up from the vanity chair, smoothing out her wedding dress and fixing the flaws in her hair. "I can't believe I'm actually getting married, Miley." She whispered happily. Miley felt guilt rushing inside of her systems as Lily's eyes began to water.

"Don't cry or else you'll ruin your makeup." Miley said urgently. Lily laughed, taking Miley's words as a joke. The blonde sniffled and blinked the tears away, quickly reapplying eyeliner and mascara. Miley gave her best friend a small smile, a smile that secretly expressed guilt, frustration, and surprisingly a little bit of glee. After all, her best friend was getting married. _She should be happy_.

Lily turned to Miley, her smile truly joyful. She threw her arms around her best friend, hugging her tightly. "Oh, Miley, I'm so happy. You have no idea how happy I am. And I'm so glad that I got to spend it with my best friend." She whispered. Miley embraced Lily in return, rubbing her back slowly. She almost wanted to curse Lily for making her feel worse than she already was. The shame was just too much for Miley to handle. "Just do me a favor, okay?" Lily asked.

"What?" Miley whispered.

"Promise me that the three of us are going to stay best friends forever." Miley felt a stab of remorse hitting her sharply. "I mean, we've still stayed best friends even when Oliver and I dated in high school. Just because we're married, doesn't mean that it will change anything. You're still my best friend, you're still Oliver's best girl friend, and we're still yours." Lily whispered.

"Um, yeah, of course," Miley agreed.

"_What are you doing here?" Oliver asked, his face clearly showing anger. Miley blinked at him, not knowing how to react. Fearfully run away or bravely step up? Obviously, he doesn't want her here. Actually, he wants her nowhere near him. That shouldn't mean that she should walk away though, because his resistances only made her want him – need him – even more._

"_What, I can't be here?" Miley asked, throwing him a weak yet mischievous smile. She took a step closer, a step too close for Oliver's liking. "Is it against the law?" she teased, grabbing onto his shoulders. She felt him tense to her touch, adding a harsher feeling to the seething glare he was giving her. "You look nervous, Oliver." Miley whispered, rubbing his shoulders gently._

"_What are you doing, Miles?" Oliver asked calmly this time. He gently pried her hands off of him and squeezed them. "You're not this kind of person. You don't do things like this." He said concernedly. Miley merely stared at him, that devious glint marking her mystifying blue eyes. She didn't want to act like a goody two shoes, like a good girl, or like a true best friend. No, for once, she was going to speak her mind and do what she has always yearned to do._

"_It's your bachelor party, Oliver. You shouldn't look nervous." Miley whispered, completely ignoring his questioning eyes. She softly ran her fingers through her best friend's dark hair while rubbing his shoulder tenderly with her other hand. "It's not like you're doing anything wrong." She smiled, sitting herself on his lap. She almost had him there for a moment. His lustful eyes, his wanting smirk, his trembling hands – it all obviously pointed out that he wanted her – but only for a brief moment. _

"_Miley, you need to stop. Aren't you supposed to be with Lily anyways?" Oliver said, immediately pushing her off of him. Miley stumbled back and ended up landing on the floor in front of him. She blinked at him before agitatedly standing back up, her arms folded neatly across her chest. _

"_That isn't important." She replied coolly. She sat on the edge of the table; her legs crossed seductively right before his eyes. "What matters is that you have the best bachelors' night ever." She smirked. _

_Oliver had to think it over at first. He sincerely could say that he didn't know how to decide. Of course women __**should**__ expect this kind of outrageous behavior from their fiancés at their bachelor party. It was normal. But, this was __**Miley**__ who was offering him this getaway. Miley, as in his best friend since sixth grade, his almost-sister. He couldn't possibly do anything with her. It would stain their friendship, mar their lives forever. _

_But still…_

"_One night I'm yours, and the rest belongs to Lily," Miley smiled. _

_She slowly leaned down and placed her lips against Oliver's._

"Oh gosh, Miley, I'm actually getting married!" Lily squealed enthusiastically. "In just thirty minutes, Oliver and I are going to live our happily ever after, like that fairy tale I've always dreamed of!" She began to jump as nothing but immense bliss coated her body. Lily twirled around while singing off-key to herself. She was in such happiness that Miley wanted to kill herself. "I'm getting married in just minutes!" Lily laughed.

"I know, I know," Miley cheered, but really, she was irritated. It was like getting reminded over and over again about how her dreams are now painfully crushed and burned into ashes.

"I'm getting married!" Lily sang on the top of her lungs. The petite blonde giggled merrily and collapsed onto the couch, taking in a deep sigh of content.

Miley didn't know if she wanted to leave because of Lily's unbearable voice or because Lily was flaunting her joy in front of Miley's face. Either way, Miley couldn't tolerate her best friend any longer, not in her excruciating state. She subtly rolled her eyes as Lily laughed girlishly, and she headed towards the door. "I gotta go to the bathroom." She announced before quickly exiting the room.

Instead of going to the bathroom like she intended to, Miley changed directions and began to walk down the hall into another room. She stared at the door for a moment, wondering if she should open it or not. Miley took in a deep breath and grasped the bronze doorknob. She slowly twisted it and pushed the door forward. She forced herself to keep her eyes open as she silently stepped into the room, closing the door behind her.

"Hey," she greeted him quietly with a small smile of her own.

Oliver stared at Miley, startled. "Um, hey, what're you doing here? Shouldn't you being helping Lily?" he asked, his voice a little bit too frantic and worried for normal. Miley couldn't blame him. After that bachelors' party, she knew that Oliver will never see her in the same way ever again. He probably wouldn't be able to speak a normal conversation with her for the next ten years or so.

"I'm supposed to be helping my best friends." Miley clarified, walking over to her second best friend. "What, you're not my best friend too?" she giggled. Oliver smiled at her and surprisingly attacked her with a hug. Miley sighed and nuzzled her face into his neck, finally feeling a small bit of happiness. Even during her guilty situation, Oliver knew exactly how to wear all of her emotions off.

"I can't believe today's the day, Miles." Oliver whispered. He released hold of her and smiled. "I've been waiting for this day ever since I realized that I was in love with her." Miley felt her heart sink to the bottom of the dark abyss, but she kept that close-lipped smile on her face. "Oh God, I couldn't be any happier than I am right now."

"You and Lily are happy. You guys are really happy." Miley sighed, plopping down into the seat in front of him. Oliver gave her a look, almost as if he was warning her not to bring anything up. Miley frowned in return and stared down at her turquoise heels. "Oliver, you know that I want you guys to be happy though. I'm not going to ruin anything." She promised.

"Thanks…I think." Oliver said. He gently smiled at her, but his eyes still had that look of doubt. Miley easily read through his façade. She grabbed hold of Oliver's hands and brought them to her lips.

"Okay, I swear I won't ruin anything if you just let me get this off my back, please." She begged.

"No, Miley, I'm getting married today. We can't risk anything right now. I'm not letting you mess this up. Anyways, we have nothing to discuss." Oliver said, standing up and stepping away from his best friend.

"Oh _come on_, Oliver! Look me in the eyes and tell me that you felt _nothing_ that night!" Miley demanded.

"I did feel nothing that night! Miley, I'm sorry, but I love Lily." Oliver declared.

"Really, Oliver? Did you love her when we kissed the first time back in high school while you and Lily were _still dating_?" Miley asked, her voice trembling. She was so close to tears, but she knew that she had to hold them back. She was not going to cry for her dignity, for her sanity. Miley looked at Oliver, waiting impatiently for his answer. Oliver just stood there, his eyes planted soullessly onto his shoes.

"_So…you guys are actually dating now?" Miley asked Oliver as the two teens walked side-by-side through the school hallways. Oliver replied his best friend's answer with a boyish grin and red cheeks. Miley laughed at his reaction and nudged him friendlily. "Wow, she'll probably have you wrapped around her finger by tomorrow." Miley teased. _

"_Pfft, no, I think Lily will be the one who's going to be wrapped around __**my **__finger by tomorrow." Oliver scoffed. Miley blinked at Oliver for a full second before laughing uncontrollably._

"_What girl could possibly be obsessed with you?!" She attempted to catch her breath but ended up laughing even more. Miley leaned against Oliver, trying to regain her balance. "HA! You think – Lily – you! As if! HAHA!" Oliver rolled his eyes and pushed his so-called best friend off of him._

"_Just watch, that girl will be so in love with me by tomorrow, and when she is, you're going to eat those words, Miley Stewart." Oliver smirked._

_Once Miley began to breathe normally, she smacked Oliver's arm. "God, Oliver, you do remember that Lily is still the same girl you met back in kindergarten. You can't talk about her like that just because she's your girlfriend now." Miley said, rolling her eyes. "I'm starting to wonder if you'd treat me like that if we ever got together." She shivered. _

"_Ew, you and me? That's just wrong. It's like incest." Oliver gagged. _

"_Hey, I'm not that horrible, am I?" Miley asked, smacking his arm once again. "You gotta admit: I'm adorable." She giggled, twirling her hair around her finger. _

"_Uh-huh, yeah, cute," Oliver teased. "But seriously, Miles, you know that I can't date you. You're like my…sister or something." He said. _

"_Yeah, I know, right." Miley agreed. She couldn't help but feel a bit offended at this. She honestly wouldn't __**mind **__dating Oliver – except for the fact that she had no feelings for him…right? Plus, what was wrong with her? Was she treating him too much like a sibling for him to see her in a different light? She acted towards him just the way Lily did for the past five years that they have known each other. What makes Lily different?_

"_Well, class is almost starting. Yay," Oliver stated sarcastically. "Wait, I think I left my science book in the auditorium." He said, changing courses._

"_I'll go with you." Miley offered, following him quickly as she sunk deep into her thoughts. She hugged her books tightly to her chest as jealousy began to engulf her body. She glared at the floor with every step she took. Why was she so envious? It was just Oliver and Lily. She shouldn't be jealous about their relationship – no, she was supposed to think it was half cute and half disgusting. Right? _

"_Ah, here it is." Oliver said, picking up the book. He placed it under his arm and turned to face Miley. He frowned once he realized her helpless face. "What's wrong? You look bummed." He said, gently nudging her shoulder. Miley snapped up, feeling a jolt once Oliver touched her shoulder. She bit her lip warily and rocked her feet back and forth._

"_I need your help." She said. She didn't know why she was doing this, but she just __**had **__to know. "I have a little experiment I want you to do with me right now." She said almost inaudibly. She knew that she needed to do this for the sake of her remaining common sense. It was just one simple test and everything will then be back to normal. Though, Miley couldn't help but feel a tad scared. The second Oliver accepts she knows that there's no turning back._

"_Yeah, sure," he said, smiling gladly at her. _

"_Okay, promise me that you won't freak out or anything." She said. Oliver gave her a suspicious look but agreed. Miley sighed and placed her hands on his shoulders, stepping closer to him. Oliver stared at Miley, shocked. The two hugged each other multiple times in their friendship, but this was just too close for __**just friends**__. Oliver knew for a fact that what they were doing right now has officially passed by the friend territory. _

"_What are you doing?" Oliver whispered. He felt a bit frightened as Miley's beautiful face neared his. Her hands moved to the back of his head, tangling her fingers within his brown locks. All of a sudden, a strong power forced Oliver to place his hands on her waist. He caressed her body lightly, leaning in with her. Oliver didn't know what was going on, but he had to admit that he was enjoying it. _

_In seconds, their lips moved against each other's, moving in such a hungry force. Miley felt fire igniting as Oliver's fingertips marked her body, carefully taking her as his. She felt him pin her up against the nearest wall roughly as he hurriedly kissed her. The flying sparks inside of her were inevitable. They soared beneath her blissfully, as if there was not a care in the world._

"I was lusting." Oliver said. "I was sixteen years old and didn't know what was going on. I was just simply lusting you." he stated seriously. "That kiss was a mistake that both of us made. But you were just experimenting on me, weren't you? It's not like you felt something."

Miley almost slapped him harshly across the face. She began to pant angrily as a tremendous amount of fury and agony rushed beneath her veins. "That kissed changed my whole entire life!" she screamed. "I was never truly happy with another boyfriend after that! I was never satisfied with any other man's kisses! _I never wanted to be with somebody else! _And after everything we've been through, you still don't get it!"

Oliver stared uneasily at Miley, almost feeling sorry for her. He didn't want her to admit it. Once those words leave her mouth, regret and guilt will forever tarnish his mind whenever he merely glimpses at her. "What are you saying?" he whispered anxiously.

"What am I _saying_?! I'm saying that I love you!" Miley yelled.

Oliver blinked at Miley. No words could explain what he was feeling right now.

Miley screamed in frustration and marched out of the room furiously. The moment she finally tells him the truth, when she confesses, he now has nothing to say. Miley felt tears pricking her eyes. She quickly ignored them, forcing them to stay put. She just needs to be tearless and smiley for a few hours before she could endlessly bawl her eyes out. It was for Lily.

It was always for Lily.

"_We shouldn't have done that. Lily is your best friend and my fiancée. You do realize that the second she finds out that we did…what we did, she will never forgive us." Oliver said as he pulled his pants up. Miley stared at him, smiling childishly. She hugged the periwinkle blanket and draped it around her bare body, giggling sweetly. _

"_It was your bachelor party, Oliver. She'll expect the expected." Miley reminded him softly. She crawled over towards him as he slipped his shirt on. Miley wrapped her arms around Oliver's shoulders and trailed gentle kisses against his jaw line. Oliver tensed again as he felt Miley's lips grazing upon his skin. He closed his eyes, trying his absolute best to resist her. "And who says that Lily has to know?" she whispered into his ear. _

"_It was still wrong." Oliver replied back in the same low voice. Miley hugged his stomach tightly, placing a few affectionate kisses on his neck. Oliver groaned causing Miley to giggle innocently. "Miley, stop." He ordered softly. Miley frowned and released Oliver from her grasp. "You know that we're never doing this again, right?" he asked, turning his head to face her slightly._

"_Of course. I mean, you…you love Lily. You're marrying her." Miley whispered. _

"_Right…last night…it was nothing." Oliver smiled. Miley looked up at him and weakly smiled in return. "And this is just going to be our little secret, right?"_

"_Yes, we certainly don't want Lily to know." Miley muttered. "I mean, you love her."_

The next few moments were pure suffering for both Miley and Oliver. But they managed to stay calm and put on a fake smile for the wedding, fooling everyone, even Lily. _Especially _Lily. Their little sham was half relieving and half agonizing on both parts though. After Miley said those certain three words aloud, it was like neither of them could push that voice out of their minds.

It was inevitable.

"Is there anyone here who believes that these two should not wed?"

Miley looked up. She locked eyes with Oliver whom was mentally begging her not to speak, move, _breathe_, but just for a few moments. Miley closed her eyes and bit her luscious lip, telling herself over and over that this was for Lily. She shouldn't be jealous, she shouldn't be angry, she's should be remarkably happy for her best friends.

Lily and Oliver were going to start their new beginning as husband and wife. They were going to move into a nice warm house in somewhere in Malibu, have children which Miley was gladly going to be the godmother of, and they were supposed to live that fairy tale life that every girl has ever dreamed of since they were six years old.

Miley was supposed to be happy for them.


End file.
